Erdan calls on UN to condemn Islamic Jihad rocket fire at civilians

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan calls on the world body to condemn Islamic Jihad rocket fire at civilians and contrasts it with the IDF, which he says aborted an airstrike in Gaza three times at the last minute upon determining that it could result in civilian casualties.

Erdan makes the revelation during a press statement ahead of the UN Security Council’s emergency closed-door meeting to discuss the recent escalation between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

The envoy calls on the Security Council to issue a condemnation of Islamic Jihad, saying that failure to do so “will only motivate them to continue in their destructive ways.”

Erdan insists that Israel worked extensively to avoid civilian casualties during the 66-hour escalation in which 45 people were killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. The IDF estimates that 11 of those casualties were innocent civilians caught in the line of fire during airstrikes targeting PIJ fighters.

The Israeli army says 16 Palestinians were killed by failed PIJ rocket launches that landed inside Gaza.

During the press conference, Erdan shows footage of an Israeli Air Force operation that was aborted due to fears that it would lead to civilian casualties. “Israeli Air Force aborted the mission three times, I repeat, three times, due to the presence of children in the area.”